Tag Archives: cougar town

Things That Are Awesome, Vol. 45

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The image above makes my life complete. Seriously, I’m not sure anything else can top it…but here are ten contenders on this week’s roundup of internet awesomeness:

  1. This promo video for Cougar Town is so cute. I feel like it would be awesome to hang out with this cast; they all seem to genuinely like each other and to have so much fun.
  2. You Are Not Carrie Bradshaw. Every woman my age should read this and make a mental note. Preach!
  3. This makes me so happy: The Pure Michigan Statewide Singalong. Yay, Michigan!
  4. This video of William and Kate dancing in Tuvalu is pretty much making my life right now.
  5. The mashup the world has been waiting for: Carly Rae Jepsen and PSY. It was only a matter of time…
  6. Google has introduced a Bacon Number feature. I found this oddly mesmerizing and may have wasted a lot of time typing different actors names in.
  7. Everything I Need to Know, I Learned from Ross and Rachel. He’s her lobster!
  8. This article on Mindy Kaling is fantastic. I’m probably going to say this a million times in future posts but 1) Mindy Kaling is awesome and 2) I can’t wait for her show.
  9. Best campaign ad ever? Best campaign ad ever, for sure. (P.S. Bridget McCormack is a professor at Michigan Law, what what!) (P.P.S. I miss the West Wing).
  10. Ann Romney is Ann Veal. Brilliant.

Jonesin’ for more awesome? Head to the Things That Are Awesome archives.

(Image via imgfave)

Things That Are Awesome, Vol. 21

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(image via Twitter)

The semi-weekly roundup of all that is awesome on the internet:

  1. Bring back Community! I mean, seriously, NBC.
  2. I am semi-obsessed with this sketch from last week’s SNL – “Bein’ Quirky with Zooey Deschanel.” All the impressions are so spot-on, but I think I love Kristen Wiig’s Bjork best. This line kills me: “I made a sweater for an octopus. Plus I left one extra hole for its dreams and ideas.”
  3. I adore Daniel Radcliffe because he’s so awkward and enthusiastic in every single interview his does. This one, with Andy Cohen, is great. I love that he can’t chose between Ron and Hermione!
  4. Sonia Sotomayor visits Sesame Street. This has been making the rounds in law school land, and I have to admit I think it’s great, in a nerdy way. I also love how there are comments on the video saying things like “I don’t think the Supreme Court has original jurisdiction over this case.” Oh, law school.
  5. What if people read articles from The Onion and thought they were real? This would happen. Things like this make me worry about the future of the human race.
  6. What really happened with Jack and Rose. SO TRUE. I know it’s just a movie, but she totally could have made room for him on that door. “I’ll never let go, Jack”?? Hello, you just did.
  7. 50 People, 1 Question – what makes you happy? I love how some folks seem baffled by the question, while others answer like it’s the simplest thing in the world. And I love the range of answers, from the silly to the philosophical.
  8. If you’re not watching Cougar Town already, you should be. Here are 10 reasons why. And in case those weren’t enough for you, how about 26 more? Seriously, watch it.
  9. I have said it before, but I think Mr. Carson is my favorite Downton Abbey character. Naturally, then, I would buy this CD in a minute.
  10. A lot has been said/written about Whitney Houston in the last week. But I prefer to let this speak for itself. Stunning.

Looking for more awesome? I’ve got your back.

Things That Are Awesome, Vol. 20

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(image via Eleni’s Bakery)

The weekly-ish roundup of internet awesomeness:

  1. This week in Downton Abbey internet finds…comparisons of the cast onscreen and off. For some of them the difference is crazy! Particularly Mrs. O’Brien and Mrs. Hughes – both so pretty in real life!
  2. Oh, wait, there’s more Downton. This video (from BBC Comic Relief) is kind of old but SO hilarious. I especially love the girl playing Mary – the way she widens her eyes at everything killed me. And Kim Cattrall as Cora! So good.
  3. Cougar Town comes back on February 14 (what, what! celebrate!). Anyway, here’s a cute video of the cast pitching new names for the show (“Seinfeld and Cox? Oh, that’s weird.”) And, on a related note, if you don’t mind being spoiled on some plot developments – a season 3 highlight reel. Cannot tell you how excited this makes me.
  4. A “make your own music video” with New Girl’s theme song. I thought this was pretty cute, and anytime I get to see the gang do the slo-mo chicken dance is a good time for me.
  5. You know February 14 is Valentine’s Day, but did you know February 13 is Galentine’s Day? You do if you watch Parks and Rec, I’m sure. Find out how to create the perfect Galentine’s Day brunch here. I love Leslie Knope.
  6. Oscar-themed cookies! If I had an extra $75 to blow on something completely meaningless, I’d buy these and throw a fancy Oscar party. Also, there is an Uggie the dog cookie! Too precious to eat, I think.
  7. Ellen DeGeneres, per usual, manages to handle tough situations with humor and grace. Great clip, great message.
  8. What would happen if Lana Del Ray’s Video Games combined with the Hunger Games? This would happened, and it would be fantastic.
  9. If Jean Dujardin starred in every movie, I would not complain.
  10. I love this blog post from Rick Steves. One line, in particular, resonated with me: “It takes discipline to let serendipity trump carefully laid plans.” That is such a good travel philosophy, and one I’m sometimes afraid I forget.

And in case you missed it: The Awesome Archives

Great Thanksgiving Moments in Pop Culture

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One thing that will become abundantly clear on this blog in the next month or so is that I really love the holidays. Christmas especially, but I have to give props to Thanksgiving as well. On that note, one thing I particularly enjoy is holiday themed movies, TV episodes, and music. Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving pop culture moments (note: anything that pre-dates the 90s, I am only vaguely familiar with. Thus, this list is pretty 90s/00s heavy.)

Turkey Pardoning (The West Wing): This episode (Shibboleth) is all-around excellent, and much deeper than the scene I’m about to discuss. But, the best Thanksgiving-y part of the episode is CJ trying to choose the turkey the President must pardon – and being unable to choose which one gets to live, and which one must die (“The more photo-friendly of the two turkeys gets a Presidential pardon and a full life at a children’s petting zoo; the other one gets eaten.”) I also love the part of the episode where President Bartlett gives Charlie his turkey-carving knife – awwwww!

Chandler in a Box (Friends): There are so many Friends Thanksgiving episodes to choose from, but this one is my very favorite (and probably my favorite Friends episode ever, period). Matthew Perry literally spends the entire episode in the box, and still manages to be hilarious (Why is Chandler in the box? “Joey had reasons.” “They were threefold.”) Also note that a pre-Alias Michael Vartan makes an appearance and looks tasty while doing it.

Sydney and Friends (Alias): Speaking of Alias, I love Sydney’s Thanksgiving dinner with all her friends. It’s not necessarily because it’s a big, special Thanksgiving episode (it isn’t), but I love it because it gives poor Sydney Bristow a moment to be…gasp…happy. Seriously, girl went through so much nonsense on the show that it was good to see her with her friends, celebrating, and actually laughing and lighthearted for once. Not that it would ever last…

Blair Waldorf Must Pie (Gossip Girl): Though I am somewhat ashamed to admit it, I do watch Gossip Girl on occasion. And, indeed, their season 1 Thanksgiving episode is pretty great, for two reasons: one, the van der Woodsens travel far outside their Upper East Side cocoon to Brooklyn (so awkward) and two, the episode flashes back to last year’s Thanksgiving, featuring drunk Serena (and drunk Serena = way better than normal Serena). The episode also ends with two surprisingly sweet (for Gossip Girl) moments: the Humphrey family playing football together and the van der Woodsen clan sharing stories over french fries at a Brooklyn diner.

My Two Greatest Enemies (Friends): Even though seeing this always reminds me that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston got divorced (and that’s kinda sad), it’s still a great episode. It also has one of my favorite lines ever, courtesy of Brad Pitt’s Will: “My two greatest enemies, Ross. Rachel Green and complex carbohydrates.” Other great moments: “You’re the hermaphrodite cheerleader from Long Island?!,” Phoebe hugging Brad Pitt, and Joey eating an entire turkey by himself (“What was I thinking? Jeans have no give!”)

Locate, Justify, Hide (Cougar Town): Both the season 1 and 2 Thanksgivings are great, but I particularly love season 1 – it has so many great small moments. For example: Jules’s pre-Black Friday scouting trip strategy (locate, justify, hide), the cul-de-sac crew’s “Hi, Kylie!” serenade, the guys’ pseudo-macho pickup basketball game, and Laurie requesting a glass of half red/half white wine (classy).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Things That Are Awesome, Vol. 6

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The (semi-)weekly roundup of all that is awesome on the interwebs:

  1. Ben + Jerry’s has had some amazing special flavors over the years, but this one has to be the all-time best. Hilarious. And again, I cannot wait for the AD movie.
  2. Every now and then, I stumble upon a David Foster Wallace article and remember again how brilliant he was. Some of my favorites? Roger Federer as a Religious Experience, A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again (hilarious), and his 2005 commencement address at Kenyon College.
  3. Feminist Ryan Gosling. So random and oddly brilliant. Hey girl!
  4. Kyle Hilton’s Ron Swanson paper doll. LOVE.
  5. This video makes me so happy. Bieber dance!
  6. I love this guerrilla marketing idea. And I love Cougar Town. Why don’t more people watch??
  7. This documentary looks excellent.
  8. Treat Yo Self! So much love for Parks and Rec, as ever.
  9. Titanic’s Final Facebook Posts. I’ll never let go.
  10. A documentary about the making of the final Harry Potter films – When Harry Left Hogwarts. This looks so, so good.

Need some more awesome? Look no further.

Pop Culture Confessions: TV

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Following up on my movie confessions, here’s another set of ten, this time related to television:

  1. I pretend the two Sex and the City movies don’t exist. The last episode was basically perfect. The movies ruined it. Therefore, they are not real.
  2. I believe any situation in life can be related to an episode of Friends. I have scientifically proven this many times over the years. Doing laundry? Better use UberWeiss! Are two people meant to be? That’s because he’s her lobster! Lost while sightseeing? Time to get in the map!
  3. I loved Dawson’s Creek in middle school. I recently watched a few season one episodes and was floored by how awkward the acting was and how forced the dialogue sounded. Perspective.
  4. I know this is a popularly-held opinion, but I think Jim Halpert is pretty much the perfect man.
  5. In the 4th grade, my friends and I used to discuss Melrose Place with our teacher. I’m almost certain this was inappropriate.
  6. For my best friend’s last birthday, I bought her the 2 biggest wine glasses I could find, labeled them “Big Joe” and “Big Carl,” and gave them to her along with the Cougar Town season 1 DVD.
  7. One Halloween, my dad dressed up as Wilson from Home Improvement – he built a miniature fence and strapped it to himself. I still think of this as the most creative Halloween costume I’ve ever seen.
  8. Sometimes when I’m home alone, I feel a strong urge to blare the song “Mama’s Coming Out,” drink wine, and stumble around my apartment a la Lucille Bluth. Not that I’ve ever actually done this…
  9. Remember when Grey’s Anatomy used to be a great show? During the Super Bowl episode where a man has a bomb inside of him, my roommate literally shrieked on multiple occasions because the tension was just too much for her. This was sophomore year and we were living in the West Quad dorms – needless to say, I was a little embarrassed.
  10. In high school, my friends and I used to get together on Sunday nights and watch Alias. We were all obsessed with it and we all had our own theories/predictions about what was going on. That show was SO good circa seasons 1 and 2. After that, it pretty much went downhill.

Emmys 2011: Wishes + Gripes

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I love award shows. I love the red carpet fashion and the cheesy acceptance speeches and the video montages. But perhaps most of all, I love analyzing the nominees and bitching about my favorites who weren’t nominated. So, with the Emmys airing tonight, what better time to do just that? Here’s my take on the ten major categories (and, no, all that miniseries crap does not count).

Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series

  • Jane Lynch – Glee
  • Betty White – Hot in Cleveland
  • Julie Bowen – Modern Family
  • Kristen Wiig – Saturday Night Live
  • Jane Krakowski – 30 Rock
  • Sofia Vergara – Modern Family
  • Who Should Win: In an almost neck and neck race with Julie Bowen, I’d give it to Sofia Vergara, who could win this award almost on the strength of her accent alone. Please, please don’t let Betty White win. I mean, yes, I get it, everyone loves Betty White. That doesn’t mean we have to nominate her for starring in a mediocre show on TV Land.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: Busy Phillips from Cougar Town. She is completely, wonderfully over the top and makes me laugh every single week. Sample quip: “I used to watch Jeopardy! every day because I had a major lady rod for Alex Trebek. Till I found out he was Canadian. Gross.”

Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series

  • Jon Cryer – Two and a Half Men
  • Chris Colfer – Glee
  • Jesse Tyler Ferguson – Modern Family
  • Ed O’Neill – Modern Family
  • Eric Stonestreet – Modern Family
  • Ty Burrell – Modern Family
  • Who Should Win: Can we have a four way tie between the Modern Family guys? If not, I’d give it to Ty Burrell. I love how clueless but super lovable he makes Phil.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: No contest – the biggest snub in ANY category is Nick Offerman from Parks and Rec. Seriously, Ron Swanson is unbeatable. So many great moments – his cornrows, pulling out his own tooth, getting his eyebrows burned off, his pyramid of greatness, his plain and simple hamburger making skills. How is he not nominated? Also, I give an honorable mention to Aziz Ansari, who is fantastic. I have replayed the scene where he talks about food abbreviations countless times (chicky chicky parm parm, future birds, food rakes, long ass rice, apps and zerts. Pure comedy gold).

Lead Actress in a Comedy Series

  • Laura Linney – The Big C
  • Edie Falco – Nurse Jackie
  • Amy Poehler – Parks and Recreation
  • Melissa McCarthy – Mike & Molly
  • Martha Plimpton – Raising Hope
  • Tina Fey – 30 Rock
  • Who Should Win: Amy Poehler, fo sho. Basically, I want Leslie Knope to succeed in every one of her crazy ventures because Poehler makes her so dorkily lovable and relateable. And here’s a plea for Tina Fey not to win for the 547th time. Seriously, we’re over it.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: Courtney Cox, at long last. Never nominated for Friends, and now never nominated for Cougar Town. It’s a travesty, and Jules Cobb can only cope by curling up in her blumfy with a gigantic glass of wine from Big Carl.

Lead Actor in a Comedy Series

  • Matt LeBlanc – Episodes
  • Jim Parsons – The Big Bang Theory
  • Steve Carell – The Office
  • Johnny Galecki – The Big Bang Theory
  • Louis CK – Louie
  • Alec Baldwin – 30 Rock
  • Who Should Win: If I had seen Episodes, I have a suspicion Matt LeBlanc would’ve gotten my nod. But since I haven’t, I’ll have to go with Steve Carrell. I’m glad Michael Scott got his happy ending, and Steve Carrell should get one too.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: I’m not sure if he submitted himself for Lead Actor or Supporting, but I’d go with John Krasinski. How has he never been nominated? Yeah, the Office’s glory days are far behind it, but Jim Halpert is always wonderful.

Comedy Series

  • Glee
  • Parks and Recreation
  • The Office
  • Modern Family
  • 30 Rock
  • The Big Bang Theory
  • Who Should Win: I am completely torn between Parks and Rec and Modern Family. I say the Emmys spread the love around a bit and give it to Parks and Rec this year. The Modern Family ensemble always gets major props, but I think the Parks and Rec cast is equally outstanding.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: At this point, this will come as no surprise – Cougar Town! This show is completely underrated – I only know like 2 people who watch it, which is a shame because it’s consistently hilarious. I aspire to this life one day – never working, and sitting around all day with friends to talk, play stupid games, and drink liberal amounts of wine. Penny can!!!

Supporting Actress in a Drama Series

  • Kelly Macdonald – Boardwalk Empire
  • Christina Hendricks – Mad Men
  • Michelle Forbes – The Killing
  • Archie Panjabi – The Good Wife
  • Margo Martindale – Justified
  • Christine Baranski – The Good Wife
  • Who Should Win: I don’t regularly watch any of these shows, so it’s a toss up for me. I’d probably give it to Christina Hendricks because, even though I really dislike Mad Men, she’s one of the more entertaining parts of it.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: Yeah, she’s at least half the age of every nominee, but she kicks way more ass – Maisie Williams from Game of Thrones. I can’t believe more actors from this show weren’t nominated!

Supporting Actor in a Drama Series

the tudors

  • John Slattery – Mad Men
  • Andre Braugher – Men of a Certain Age
  • Walton Goggins – Justified
  • Peter Dinklage – Game of Thrones
  • Josh Charles – The Good Wife
  • Alan Cumming – The Good Wife
  • Who Should Win: No doubt – Peter Dinklage. Tyrion is such an awesome character in the novels – and Dinklage brings him to life perfectly.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: I love me some Henry Cavill in the Tudors. I know this show is kind of over the top and historically inaccurate, but I wish it would’ve gotten a smidgen more Emmy love. Especially for Henry Cavill. So fantastic. And beautiful.

Lead Actress in a Drama Series

  • Elisabeth Moss – Mad Men
  • Connie Britton – Friday Night Lights
  • Mariska Hargitay – Law & Order: SVU
  • Mireille Enos – The Killing
  • Julianna Margulies – The Good Wife
  • Kathy Bates – Harry’s Law
  • Who Should Win: Connie Britton, all the way. She makes Tammy no nonsense, wise, and humorous. Plus, she says “hey y’all” better than anyone else, ever.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: I think this category is pretty complete, and I don’t watch any of the shows that might have yielded a potential snub (e.g. January Jones in Mad Men, Anna Paquin in True Blood, etc). All that leaves me is Game of Throne’s Lena Headey. So awesome at being oh so evil.

Lead Actor in a Drama Series

  • Steve Buscemi – Boardwalk Empire
  • Michael C. Hall – Dexter
  • Kyle Chandler – Friday Night Lights
  • Jon Hamm – Mad Men
  • Hugh Laurie – House
  • Timothy Olyphant – Justified
  • Who Should Win: Please, please, please let Kyle Chandler win. Coach Taylor is second to none, and I love how Chandler injects a really dry sense of humor to the character. Plus, you know, clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: How about Nathan Fillion? I know Castle is kind of a dramedy, but I think it goes in this category. Fillion is such a good actor. Plus, anyone who got their start as Joey Buchanan gets a couple points in my book.

Drama Series

  • Boardwalk Empire
  • The Good Wife
  • Mad Men
  • Friday Night Lights
  • Dexter
  • Game of Thrones
  • Who Should Win: I will admit that I don’t watch nearly as much dramatic television as I do comedic, so perhaps it’s a bit unfair of me to judge this one. But, I’ll do it anyway since this is my blog. Game of Thrones trumps them all, hands down.
  • Who Should’ve Been Nominated: I think this list is pretty solid. The only drama I watch that isn’t on the list is Blue Bloods, so I’ll go with that one (even though it’s not really Emmy-worthy).